


Father's Day Surprise

by love2hulksmash



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Family Fluff, Father's Day Cards, M/M, McGarrett-Williams Family Feels, but sometimes you have to do things yourself, implied marriage, supportive husbands, then steve got angsty about it, this started as a ramble about father's day cards, yet another prompt that got away from me
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-04
Updated: 2018-07-13
Packaged: 2019-06-04 23:55:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15157973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love2hulksmash/pseuds/love2hulksmash
Summary: H50 headcanon from aries_taurus on Tumblr:On father’s day, Steve gets a card from Nahele. It’s awkward and shy and teary but...he gets one. It kind of breaks him a little. In a good way.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Seriously, I started typing out supportive headcanon arguments for ariestaurus21 on Tumblr on my phone. Next thing I know, dialogue wants to jump in and have its say. Not to sound cliched, but I really feel like my Muse shows up whenever she wants, because this little joy showed up. :)

Nahele has gotten a Father’s Day card for Steve every year since his unsuccessful attempt at stealing the Marquis. Steve’s willingness to forgive him, to give him a second chance at a better life, the emotional support he offered after Nahele’s birth father was killed in that bus explosion, there’s no way he wouldn’t get the SEAL a Father’s Day card.

 

And each year as he gets older, the closer he gets to legal adulthood, the more desperate those cards become. Nahele doesn’t outright ask Steve to adopt him, he’d never presume to ask for more, not when Steve has already given so much.

 

But Steve can read between the lines, has been since he first saw Nahele in his office the day his precious Marquis was stolen. And while he’s accepted, however begrudgingly, that his life is not conducive to having legal guardianship or responsibility over a teenager already in the system, he’d be lying if he hadn’t thought about bringing up the idea once Nahele had aged out of the state's adoption system.

 

Adult adoptions were just as legal in the state of Hawaii as child ones, and Steve…. Yeah, he’d been thinking about it for some time now. This year’s card only served to solidify his resolve.

 

Usually Nahele signed the cards with just his name, maybe a sloppy heart or two (he was, after all, still a teenager), but this year he’d signed “Love you, Dad” beneath the printed phrase inside the card. Those three words had choked Steve up so much, he found it legitimately heard to breathe.

 

“Danny…, we need to talk,” he said softly. Danny’s eyes dropped to the card in Steve’s hands, a knowing - and more importantly, accepting - smile coming to his face.

 

“Already got the paperwork started. Just needs your signature, babe,” the blonde said just as softly.

 

“Wait…. What?” Steve asked breathlessly.

 

“Steven, I know you. Better than you know yourself. And this is something you’ve wanted to do for a while, even before we got married,” Danny answered scooting closer to him on the couch, resting a hand on his thigh, just a simple touch to ground him. He could see the panic in Steve’s eyes, the concern that Danny wouldn’t go along with this, would argue all the ways and reasons this shouldn’t happen.

 

“And…you-you…you’d be okay with this?” Steve asked softly, and Danny smiled at the wetness in his husband’s eyes.

 

“You think he’d be ok with the long-ass name you made me take?” Danny asked grinning. Steve chuckled wetly and carefully pulled his phone from his pants. He took a slow breath and hit the speed dial number for Nahele, his heart pounding in his chest.

 

“Hey, Steve, everything ok?” Nahele answered almost immediately.

 

“Yeah, kid, everything’s good, it’s all good. Look, um, are you free tonight? I was thinking we could maybe have a small thing here at the house, nothin’ big, just you, me, Danno, Gracie, and Charlie?” Steve asked in a rush, because if he paused even for a second, he’d never get the invitation past his lips.

 

“Uh, yeah, that sounds good. Kamekona said he was thinkin’ of closing up early today anyway, got some big secret date he thinks nobody knows about,” Nahele said chuckling, “6:30 ok?”

 

“Yeah, kid, that’s good, perfect. I’ll see ya then, buddy,” Steve said grinning, his cheeks warming when Danny squeezed his thigh knowingly. Nahele said a quick goodbye before hanging up, and Steve let out a shaky breath.

 

“So…celebration dinner or celebration cookout?” Danny asked carefully. Steve smiled broadly as he stood and said, “Cookout. Definitely a cookout. Be right back, got a few calls to make.”

 

“Immunity and means does not carry over to Family Court, Steven, don’t you dare go threatening judges over this!” Danny called after him.

 

Steve’s laugh echoed from the office, and Danny could only shake his head. Steve wouldn’t threaten anybody, he knew that much, but the detective knew he’d be in court for this adoption within the next 3 months.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “What’s up, Steve? Talk to me,” Danny said quietly, moving into his space to stop him from wearing a hole into the hardwood floor. Steve looked everywhere but at him, and he could see the tears beginning to form in his husband’s dark blue eyes.
> 
> “What if…what if he says no, Danny? What if he doesn’t want this like-like I think he does? Am I presuming too much? I mean, it was just a stupid card, those things don’t mean anything, not really,” Steve started, his chest heaving, “I can’t…I can’t do this. This was stupid, it was…I can’t do this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was just supposed to be a one-shot, dammit! I did NOT intend a follow-up! But apparently I have no willpower, so.... Either that, or maybe I already wanted a follow-up myself. Either way, here ya go. :)

Steve paced nervously in his bedroom, the sounds from the impromptu cookout drifting from the open window. He clutched the adoption papers tightly in one hand, trying to work himself out of the panic that had suddenly overwhelmed him. He’d told his family he’d be right back, as they settled down in the chairs near the beach line to watch the sun complete its dip beyond the horizon.

 

Dinner had been nothing spectacular, just a shrimp concoction and vegetable skewers Danny had whipped up while they waited for Nahele to get off work, and a red velvet cake Steve had baked from scratch. Being married to Danny had vastly improved his cooking skills over the past 6 months, that was for sure. Once they’d all eaten their fills, Danny had thrown a prodding look Steve’s way, silently communicating for him to just _get on with it already, ya goof_.

 

Now, though, Steve doubted this decision with nearly every fiber of his being. Nahele would be turning 18 at the end of the summer, he probably already had plans for his near future, let alone anything beyond that.

 

Steve had managed to convince him to apply to a trades school, to maybe consider going into auto mechanics professionally. Nahele had practically helped him refurbish the Marquis from scratch; he knew his way around that car almost as well as Steve did, so the former SEAL knew Nahele would be more than successful if he put his mind to it.

 

“Babe…?”

 

Steve jerked at the sound of Danny’s voice coming from the doorway, and he let out a shaky breath before facing him, trying – and failing – to hide his trepidation. Danny merely grinned, motioning towards the crumpled papers in his husband’s right hand, and said, “Great, babe, good job, really. Now we gotta reprint that package out and start all over again.”

 

“It’s…. It’s fine, Danny, this is, um, this is just my part of it,” Steve said motioning with his head towards the bed, where he’d laid out the Adult Adoptee Consent Form with Nahele’s name printed in his neatest handwriting. Danny had filled out the Petition for Adoption form already, but he’d been adamant about Steve being the one to fill out the other. Nahele recognized both their handwriting, and the blonde knew what it would mean to the young man to see Steve’s handwriting on that particular form.

 

“What’s up, Steve? Talk to me,” Danny said quietly, moving into his space to stop him from wearing a hole into the hardwood floor. Steve looked everywhere but at him, and he could see the tears beginning to form in his husband’s dark blue eyes.

 

“What if…what if he says no, Danny? What if he doesn’t want this like-like I think he does? Am I presuming too much? I mean, it was just a stupid card, those things don’t mean anything, not really,” Steve started, his chest heaving, “I can’t…I can’t do this. This was stupid, it was…I can’t do this.”

 

Danny reached up and gripped his arms, his thumbs moving just under the hem of the sleeves in soothing motions. He didn’t say anything, just kept the motion going until Steve’s eyes finally locked with his own.

 

“I say this with all the love I have for you, Steven Jack McGarrett. I want you to know that, okay? This is comin’ from a place of love….,” Danny whispered, his lips twitching upward.

 

“What?” Steve said softly, his breathing slowing at the confidence he saw in Danny’s eyes. If anything could bring him back from the edge he so often found himself on, it was the blonde’s unwavering confidence in him (well, maybe it wavered every now and again, if only because Danny vehemently disagreed with whatever Steve had managed to convince him to do at work).

 

“You…are…a giant…idiot,” Danny murmured, eyes shining with humor. Steve snatched away from him, no real heat to his movements, though, and said, “Danny, I’m serious!”

 

“So am I, babe. Nahele loves you, same as Gracie and Charlie do. It’s not hero worship, it’s not because you got him a job all those years ago instead of a jail sentence, it’s not anything like that. He loves _you_ , babe, because of who you are, same as my kids do,” Danny continued gently prying the adoption petition package from his fingers and smoothing them out on the bed, “Hell, they’ve told you straight up the only reason they don’t call you ‘Dad’ is because Uncle Steve flows better to them.”

 

Once they were as unwrinkled as he could get them, he looked up at Steve and said, “You think for one second I’d let you do this if I thought you were gonna get hurt by it? You’re a father to him in almost all the ways that count, this just lets the world know it.”

 

Steve sighed softly and shook his head ruefully. “Overprotective to the very end, huh?” he asked, this time fighting his own grin.

 

“Somebody has to protect you from yourself, babe,” Danny said grinning and putting the papers in order, “Now, come on. The kids were already antsy when I headed inside, they’re probably dancing in the ocean by now just to kill the boredom.”

 

“Nothing’s boring about watching a sunset, Daniel,” Steve said following him down the stairs. He and Danny argued the validity of that statement until they reached the Adirondack chairs, and Danny smirked triumphantly. The kids indeed were playing just at the very edges of the tide line, not enough to get drenched, but enough to maintain contact with the flow of the water.

 

“Like I said…,” the blonde said smiling up at Steve, who rolled his eyes before calling the three children back from their shenanigans. “You’re the one who’ll have to make sure all the sand is out before you do laundry,” he murmured back, “It’s your turn this weekend.”

 

The laughter of the kids distracted them both, as Nahele and Grace chased Charlie up the small bank to the grass. “Danno, Danno, help me!” Charlie yelled reaching for the safety of Danny’s arms, a smile on his face. Danny smiled and picked him up, holding one arm out to “fend off” the attack from the two teenagers.

 

“Come on, come on, Uncle Steve’s got somethin’ he wants to talk to the family about,” he said throwing a comforting grin towards the brunette, going to lead them all back to the chairs. Steve stopped them from moving, though, with a hand on Danny’s shoulder.

 

He took a deep breath, trying not to twitch under the somewhat confused stares of his family. At that thought, that this indeed was his family, that he’d made a family for himself, as unconventional as it may have looked from the outside, he felt his chest lighten considerably, and he returned Danny’s smile.

 

“So…your dad’s right, uh, there’s somethin’ I wanted to kinda bring up to you guys as a group, but, um, I need to…to talk to Nahele first, if that’s alright,” he said carefully. Nahele’s face dropped instantly, and Steve tried to ease his fear silently, but the teen merely began his trek towards the house silently.

 

“Hey, Nahele, wait!” Steve said rushing after him, gently grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop.

 

“It’s okay, Steve, I’ll get goin’,” Nahele said quietly, his eyes stuck to the ground, "Family meeting and all, so...." Steve, though, saw the betraying tears welling in the young man’s eyes. Knowing words would do no justice at this point, he handed over the thin packet of papers, almost forcing Nahele to take them.

 

He could tell the exact moment when the teenager realized what Steve had just given him, because his eyes widened and he looked up at Steve with a hope that hadn’t been directed his way since he’d asked Danny to marry him.

 

Steve let out a slow breath, casually slipping his hands in the pockets of his shorts. It took him another long moment to finally get the words out that he’d been dying to say all afternoon, since he’d opened that card.

 

“I can’t…adopt you as a teenager, Nahele. The process would take too long at this point, and you’d be 18 before we even got a court hearing about it anyway. So…I guess, what I’m asking is…would you want to be adopted as an adult? By me? And Danny, too, he’s gonna sign on as my co-petitioner. I mean, if you want. It can just be me, or… I’d like us both to be your…legal dads, if that’s okay with you,” he said nervously, trailing off as Nahele’s eyes widened and his tears fell.

 

“You…you wanna adopt me? For real?” Nahele asked softly.

 

“Yeah, kid, I do. For real,” Steve answered, offering the same comforting smile Danny had been throwing his way the past few hours.

 

Nahele launched himself into Steve’s arms, uncaring as his tears fell and Steve’s arms locked tightly, protectively, around his thin frame. “Okay, yeah, dad, yeah,” he murmured.

 

Steve smiled as he felt wetness prick at the corners of his own eyes, and he said, “I talked to a judge at Family Court, and he’s gonna get us in as soon after your birthday as he can, okay? Since it’s still actually a few months out, he thinks we can get away with scheduling the hearing now, so at least we’re on the court calendar. Might even be on your birthday, if we’re lucky.”

 

Nahele laughed wetly against his shoulder, nodded enthusiastically. “Sounds awesome, brah,” he said sniffling. Steve gently pulled back and asked, “Can we…go give them the good news now?” Nahele took off back to the chairs, dropping down beside Grace and Charlie and holding up the packet Steve had given him.

 

Steve smiled broadly as Grace and Charlie tackled Nahele back into the grass, their laughter and celebratory squeals echoing across the yard. Danny made his way over to him, a peaceful smile on his face. “You good now, babe?” he asked softly, reaching out for the brunette’s hands.

 

Steve eyed his children – _their_ children – once more before looking down at Danny. “I’m good, Danno. How’d I get so lucky, huh?” he whispered, “You…them…how’d I get all this?”

 

Danny pulled on his hands until he leaned down, and he brushed their lips together in as innocent a kiss as he could manage with the kids present. “You got it because you’re good, Steve McGarrett, and because you deserve it. I’d argue about commandeering partners and half-baked cookies, but…I think those were in the vows already,” he murmured against Steve’s lips.

 

Steve smirked and began pulling him back towards the kids, but not before adding with a chuckle, “I told you we’d get along great, didn’t I?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Steve…, if you changed your mind…,” Nahele said quietly, his voice unsteady, and Steve’s eyes shot towards him in open shock.
> 
>  
> 
> “Have you…have you changed yours?” the SEAL asked.
> 
>  
> 
> “No!” Nahele shot out, his voice echoing in the empty hallway, and his cheeks tinted red at the pure relief in Steve’s eyes, “Um…, no, sir, I haven’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm really done this time, I swear. This chapter just would not leave my brain alone!

Nahele couldn’t help the grin that came to his face when he spotted Steve and Danny in the hallway outside Courtroom 3 of the Oahu First Circuit’s Family Court. The two men sat huddled together on a small bench, hands tightly clasped despite Steve practically having his face buried in the blonde’s neck. The tension radiating off the SEAL was so strong, Nahele felt like he could see the waves vibrating in the stuffy hallway.

 

Taking a deep breath, he ran his hands quickly over the dark green button-down shirt and black slacks Danny had bought for him just for this occasion, trying to smooth out any wrinkles from his bus ride over. Steve had offered to pick him up from the small apartment he’d rented just a few short weeks ago. Nahele had known he have to leave the group home either before or on his birthday, as he would’ve officially aged out of the state’s foster care system.

 

It took him nearly a month to find something within his bare-bones budget, and he still refused to tell Steve that it was in one of the city’s worst neighborhoods. However, he was making decent enough money working for Kamekona, and he’d picked up a side job doing basic mechanic work at a shop near his apartment building. So he could afford the studio apartment he’d found, and he generally even had money for bus fare.

 

He’d also been accepted into the Hawaii Community College’s Automotive Technology program on nearly a full-ride. Within two years, he would have his Associate degree in Applied Science. Life seemed like it couldn’t get any better, but the young man knew that it could. Letting out a soft breath, he finally headed towards Steve and Danny.

 

“Babe…,” Danny murmured quietly, nudging Steve’s face gently with his shoulder. Steve stiffened even more against him, and Danny dropped a knowing kiss against his temple. Steve shuddered against him, so Danny kept his lips against his husband’s skin, keeping his breathing as even as he could. Steve needed him calm and collected right now, that much he could tell.

 

“Hey, guys,” Nahele spoke, fidgeting yet trying to keep still at the same time. Danny knew Steve’s nervous energy was just feeding into Nahele’s, yet he also knew no words would calm either of them down until they got through this court hearing.

 

“Hey, buddy, glad to see the shirt really does fit,” Danny said grinning, “Kinda hard to shop for you sometimes, ya know.”

 

“Yeah, tell me about it. Really hope I’m done growin’,” Nahele said grinning as well. The grin fell, though, when Steve still kept his head tucked in place against the blonde’s shoulder.

 

Danny watched the doubt, the fear that had been in Nahele’s eyes the past two months since they’d received notice of the hearing, creep into the young man’s posture. He nudged Steve more insistently this time, prying their hands apart and forcing Steve to look at him.

 

“Not gonna let you hide anymore, babe,” he said when Steve tried to pull from his grip, his dark blue eyes sheltered. Danny, though, could see the fear there; when nobody else could, Danny had always been able to see through those walls Steve had been so insistent on trying to keep up.

 

“Steve…, if you changed your mind…,” Nahele said quietly, his voice unsteady, and Steve’s eyes shot towards him in open shock.

 

“Have you…have you changed yours?” the SEAL asked.

 

“No!” Nahele shot out, his voice echoing in the empty hallway, and his cheeks tinted red at the pure relief in Steve’s eyes, “Um…, no, sir, I haven’t.”

 

“McGarrett-Williams Family, Case Number 584A-33,” called out a security guard from the half-open doorway next to Danny.

 

Steve swallowed thickly before breaking his gaze away from Nahele’s, easing to his feet with Danny at his side. Danny grasped his right hand, threading their fingers together, and Steve held out his left one to Nahele. The young man grinned and took his hand, letting out a breath of relief as they made their way into the courtroom.

 

The courtroom was empty except for the single security officer, a court clerk, and the judge. Danny squeezed Steve’s hand reassuringly as they made their way up to the small podium set in the middle of the floor, moving his thumb back and forth in a soothing motion.

 

“Good afternoon, Commander McGarrett, Detective McGarrett-Williams. I gotta say, it’s really nice to see you two in here for something other than work,” Judge Ana Laukahi spoke with a genteel smile, “And this must be Nahele.”

 

Nahele gave a jerky nod, but politely answered, “Yes, your honor.”

 

“Well, let’s go ahead and get this settled. I know antsy parents when I see them,” she responded turning her attention to the adoption packet in front of her, not missing the happy smiles the husbands shared.

 

“Nahele, I’m going to ask you a few questions, if that’s okay,” Laukahi said adjusting her thin glasses. Nahele nodded and took center position at the podium, trying to stand as tall as he could.

 

“Commander Steven McGarrett and his husband, Detective Daniel McGarrett-Williams, have filed a Petition for Adoption, to legally adopt you into their family. You signed the Adult Adoptee Consent Form that goes with the petition package. Can I ask you how long you’ve thought about this, young man? I see you only reached legal adulthood a few weeks ago,” the judge spoke.

 

Nahele looked to Steve nervously, because that was a question he’d never admitted the answer to, not to anyone, let alone to Steve. The SEAL's eyes locked with his own, and Nahele felt his own nervousness reflected back in the Commander's eyes. He took a slow breath before turning his attention back to the judge.

 

“Your Honor…, since Steve…. I'm sorry, since Commander McGarrett told me that…he wasn’t gonna file charges against me for…for stealing his car,” he answered honestly, trying not to react at the low gasp he heard from Steve.

 

“You stole his car??” Judge Laukahi asked in shock.

 

“Yes, ma'am,” Nahele said ducking his head, his cheeks flushed red in shame and embarrassment. Steve’s hand landed firmly on his shoulder, and he quickly interjected, “And I forgave you for that, kid. You know that. You had your reasons, and I knew you were just--.”

 

“Commander, please,” the judge spoke up, “I need you to let him finish.”

 

Steve sighed heavily, because there was so much more he wanted to say, to make clear to Nahele, regardless of what this judge may think of him. He looked to Danny, who gave a minute shake of his head. They could only interfere but so much here.

 

He gave Nahele’s shoulder another firm, supportive squeeze before facing forward and returning his attention to the judge. Nahele sniffled from between the two men, wiping at stray tears that he couldn’t keep from falling, and Steve felt his heart clench his chest.

 

“Nahele…,” Judge Laukahi prodded gently, “Please continue, young man. You said Commander McGarrett _didn’t_ press charges against you?”

 

“No, ma’am. I…I was homeless at the time, and…and I sold the-the parts of the car that I could just to-to get some food,” Nahele answered, “But Steve, he…he gave me a second chance, by not pressing charges when he could have. He got me a job with Kamekona Tupuola, helped me learn how to be responsible, and he taught me about cars by makin’ me help him put his car back together. And, um, that was when I knew what kinda…what kinda man Commander McGarrett was, and I knew I never wanted to let him down. Nobody in my life ever had that kinda belief in me, that I could actually make somethin’ o’ my life, be somebody good and productive, nobody.”

 

Steve felt his own eyes burn at the memories of those first few months in Nahele’s life. It had been rough-going for a while, getting him used to showing up for work at Kamekona’s on time, teaching him the intricacies of the Marquis in their quest to essentially rebuild it from the ground up. At the same time, he’d felt like it was one of the most impactful times of his life, being able to be that kind of mentor. It was the first time in a while, since Danny had first introduced him to Grace all those years ago, that he’d wished for a child of his own.

 

“Detective McGarrett-Williams?” the judge said looking to the blonde finally, “Anything to add?”

 

“Uh, well, Your Honor, Steve and I had only just…started seeing each other on a-a personal level when that all happened, but…I will say this. It only reaffirmed what I’d known about Steve pretty much from the first day we met,” Danny answered glancing at his husband with a proud smile, “Once he’s brought you in, made you part of his _ohana_ , there’s really no gettin’ out.”

 

The judge grinned and said, “Oh, I’ve seen how loyal Commander McGarrett is to his team. I’m sure it’s even worse with his family.” Danny merely chuckled and nodded in response.

 

“Commander, a question for you now. Nahele is now a legal adult in the state of Hawaii, which means that if this adoption were to go through, you wouldn’t have to provide for him in the same way as you would a minor. So why exactly are you wanting to go through with this now?”  the judge asked.

 

“Your Honor, the only reason I didn’t file for an adoption when Nahele was still in the foster care system was because of Five-0, because I was…am on-call for my job 24/7, and I told Nahele that. I couldn’t be…I’m _not_ a traditional parent who works a 9-to-5 job,” Steve answered openly, “But I also told him that that didn’t mean I didn’t love him, wouldn’t protect him and provide for him and help him out in any way I could. I got him into the best group home I knew, gave him rides to work whenever he asked, my house was his to come hang out at or an escape if the group home was too hectic once in a while. He’s spent almost as much time with me as Danny’s…as our other kids have.”

 

“Detective, I have to ask since you are listed as co-petitioner. You’re already the father of two children. Are you willing to add a third? Even if that third child is an adult?” the judged asked Danny.

 

“Yes, I am, Your Honor. Steve may have final say when it comes to our work life, but at home, we’re both equals, we both talk about any changes or big, big decisions that need to be made, or that we’re thinking we even want to make. And I had this paperwork filled out before he even knew about it. Because I know him, and I know Nahele, and I love them both to depths of my soul. It’s my job as Steve’s husband to keep him happy, keep our children safe and make sure they all know they’re loved by us both. I wouldn’t have listed myself on that form if I wasn’t just as willing as Steve to make sure Nahele knows we consider him part of our family, in all the ways that matter,” Danny responded curtly.

 

“And you understand the permanency of this decision, gentlemen? Should this adoption be finalized here today, you both will have a permanent, legal connection to Mr. Huikala, same as you would if he were your blood child,” Judge Laukahi said, looking back to Steve.

 

“With all due respect, Your Honor…, I already consider Nahele my blood,” Steve said thickly, “No paperwork would change that, whether you grant our petition or not.” Danny sighed softly from the other side of Nahele, but the grin on the judge’s face told them all that no offense was taken by Steve’s outburst.

 

“That’s all I need to know, Commander,” she spoke softly before looking down and quickly signing her name on several sheets of paper, “Let it stand here, in the First Circuit Family Court of Oahu, that your Petition for Adoption of the adult Nahele Huikala is hereby granted.”

 

Nahele and Steve embraced tightly, both men crying softly and murmuring “I love you” repeatedly. Danny stood back from them, wanting to give them this moment, but Nahele pulled him into the hug and started whispering his thanks to the blonde as well. The judge, though, cleared her throat to get their attention before the celebration could go on too long.

 

“Nahele, you’ll be able to file for a new birth certificate and social security card as soon as you get the notarized copy of this petition from the Court Clerk. Do you know if you’ll be changing your surname or keeping it?” she asked.

 

Nahele looked to Danny first, but the blonde only offered him a smug look. He turned his gaze to Steve, and the brunette looked so hopeful, yet also wary. Nahele took a deep breath and looked to the judge.

 

“I’d like to change my last name, Your Honor, to…to my fathers’ last name,” he said thickly, wet tears escaping all over again.

 

“Nahele…,” Steve whispered.

 

“Is that okay? I don’t have to, Steve,” Nahele said quietly.

 

“Oh, kid, c’mere,” Steve said pulling him into yet another hug, “I love you, so much, you hear me? I love you.”

 

“It won’t be a formal name change until you go down to the Health Department and apply for an Amended Birth Certificate. From there, you can get a new state ID or driver’s license or passport, then an updated social security card,” Judge Laukahi added, “But…Commander McGarrett, Detective McGarrett-Williams, and Nahele McGarrett-Williams, let the record state that this court hereby recognizes the full legality of this adoption. Congratulations.”

 

The three men embraced once more as the judge finally stood from her seat. “I can take a photo, if you like,” she spoke motioning for them to move towards the bench. Steve pulled his phone from his pants pocket, handing it over with one hand and slipping his other arm around Nahele’s shoulders, pulling him close. Danny moved to Nahele’s other side and wrapped an arm around his waist. The judge snapped several photos before congratulating them once more, and the security guard finally motioned for them to exit the courtroom.

 

“I, um…, I can’t believe it was that easy,” Nahele said as they made their way towards the exit, “All that waiting just for…for, like, 15 minutes in the courtroom.”

 

“Yeah, but now that it’s done, you wanna go grab some lunch? I don’t know about you, but I’m starving right about now,” Steve said linking his fingers with Danny’s. Danny smiled up at him and said, “You’re always starving, Steven. You’d think I don’t feed you enough.”

 

Steve smiled and pulled him close, rubbing their noses together before kissing him chastely. “You take the very best care o’ me, Daniel McGarrett-Williams,” he murmured.

 

“Oh, jeez. The sappiness was bad enough when I wasn’t your kid. I’ll have to ask Gracie how she puts up with it,” Nahele said jokingly rolling his eyes. Steve’s cheeks tinted red, and his eyes glistened as he looked to Nahele. He didn’t know if he’d ever get over hearing those words, and he kind of hoped he never did.

 

“Come on, let’s get outta here before you two make _me_ start cryin’,” Danny said with a smile, leading them both through the exit doors, “Nahele, lunch is on me, kid. Anywhere you want.”

 

“As long as it’s not Kamekona’s, I’m good,” Nahele said as Steve threw an arm over his shoulders, “I love the guy, but a little variety is nice every now and then.”

 

“I hear ya, buddy, I hear ya,” Danny said chuckling.

 

Steve let his husband and his son lead him from the courthouse, a warm feeling in his chest that felt like the purest white light spreading throughout his whole body. He was sure things wouldn’t be much different between him and Nahele, same as when he and Danny had gotten together.

 

But this feeling here, it still seemed like a whole new level of happiness that he never thought life would grant him. Just when he thought his blessings had reached their peak, the universe had just sent him another one. He’d spend the rest of his days showing his gratefulness through the care and protection of his family, no matter what.


End file.
